How Long Does It Take to Charge a Car Battery? A Quick Read

Your car battery may get fully discharged after driving on a long trip and partially discharged on short tours. This is where you need to recharge the battery. The exact charging time may vary from one battery type to another. It also depends on the battery's health and the charger's output current.

Are you wondering how long does it take to charge a car battery on average? This article explains everything in this regard, including but not limited to when a battery runs out of power, the time it takes to charge fully, what factors affect the charging time, and the selection of the right battery charger. Let's get into further details.

When does a battery run out of power?

Several reasons result in making the car battery go flat, as given below.

1. Undercharging: In old vehicles, the alternator charges the battery when the engine is operating and it continues to charge it even after it is fully charged.
2. Parasitic drain: It happens when electronic components continue to consume power even when the engine is turned off.
3. Human error: We may leave inner lights or headlights on. In addition, if the boot is not closed properly, it may also result in flattening the car battery.
4. Driving habits: Frequent short trips don't allow the car battery to recover the lost energy. If you've installed a lead-acid battery in your vehicle and you don't drive for long, it'll lose power over time. This is why batteries in rarely driven cars often go flat.
5. Old battery: If your car doesn't start consistently, it could be due to the battery not holding the charge properly because its lifespan is over.

How long does it take to charge a dead car battery?

You must have seen many online forums where people usually ask, "How long does it take a car battery to charge?" Do you have the same query in mind? If so, let's find out the answer in the discussion below.

On average, a car battery can take between 4 hours and 24 hours to charge fully. It largely depends on two things: the battery size and the amperes at which the battery is charging. The car battery chargers usually charge batteries at the rate of 4 amperes.

If your 52Ah battery is dead, it will take approximately 10 hours to hold the full charge. After connecting the car battery to the charger for one hour, you can start the vehicle and drive.

Valuable tips for charging the car battery

Following these tips will help you charge a car battery effectively for an extended period.

1. Charger selection: Before you buy a car battery charger, don't forget to look at its output amperes. A high ampere charge will charge the battery more quickly than a charger with low amperes. At the same time, this charger can affect the battery's performance in the long run. Always charge your vehicle with a charger of 4 to 8 amperes.
2. Battery charging: It is always recommended to charge your battery with a low amperage charger, which refers to slow charging. It will help the battery last longer.
3. Rapid charge: Avoid charging your car battery rapidly, as it negatively impacts its long-term performance.
4. Engine start time: The car battery takes 2 to 4 hours to store the energy required to start the vehicle's engine. Therefore, you can start the car after this much time instead of waiting for the battery to charge completely.

Note: If you want to reduce the charging time of your car battery without affecting its performance, buy smart 40-ampere battery chargers from today's market.

What factors affect how long a car battery takes to charge?

Some of the common factors that can affect the charging time of your car battery are as follows.

1. Charge type

The type of battery charger you use determines the time a battery takes to charge fully. A high-amp charger can charge the battery quickly. In comparison, a battery charges slowly when connected to a low-amp charger. But remember, a charge with a high output current may degrade the performance of your battery.

2. Battery size

It also affects the charging time of a car battery. The bigger the battery size, the more time it will take to hold the full charge. On the other hand, small-sized car batteries charge in less time (1 to 2 hours in most cases). However, advanced battery chargers are now able to charge bigger batteries in less time without affecting their performance.

3. Cold weather

As we all know, many batteries do not perform well in cold environments compared to how they perform in hot conditions. Similarly, cold weather badly affects the charging time of a car battery. The colder the environment is; the more time a battery will take to charge completely because the reactions within the battery occur slowly in winter or cold conditions.

4. Battery capacity

The battery capacity means the amount of energy it can store within its structure. The higher the battery capacity, the longer its charging time will be. Therefore, batteries with low capacity charge in less time.

Important note: Never turn on a heater, radio, lights, stereo system, or any other electronic device when you drive the vehicle with the intention of charging the battery.

Is it better to charge the battery or jump start the car?

If you are unable to charge the car battery while driving, you can jump-start the vehicle with the help of an external battery. Though it can start your car and retrieve the charging operations, this process is not designed for long-term charging purposes.

In addition, jump-starting your car frequently may shorten the lifespan of your car battery. If your vehicle is equipped with traction control, jump-start can compromise it if the manufacturer's instructions are not followed properly.

Moreover, power steering damage, airbag system flaws, and damage to costly electronic devices due to a power surge are some other drawbacks associated with jump-starting your car.

Therefore, it is always better to buy and use the right battery charger for routine charging and maintenance instead of developing a habit of jump-starting the vehicle.

Which battery charger do I need for my car?

Well, it depends on several factors, such as the engine size of your car, the battery type, and what features you look for in a charger. If your car has a bigger engine, you will need a more powerful charger to start it.

Similarly, lead-acid batteries are compatible with most chargers available on the market. In comparison, calcium, AGM, or gel batteries need smart battery chargers. Let's now look at some popular types of car battery chargers available on the market these days.

What is linear battery charger?

A linear battery charger is budget-friendly, simple, and compact. It reduces noise because of the absence of a switching operation.

The package size limits higher power dissipation by limiting higher charge currents. This is what makes a linear battery charger a perfect choice for portable IoT devices, such as Bluetooth earbuds, fitness accessories, and smartwatches.

what is multi-stage charger?

A multi-stage battery charger is also known as a smart charger. It comes with a circuit of different intelligent micro-electronic components. This charger not only keeps the battery away from malfunctioning but also improves the charging process and increases the lifespan of the battery.

This charger type works on multi-stage cycles, including charging, analysis, repair, and protection of the car battery. It does not simply start charging the battery. Rather, it analyzes the battery's situation and then chooses the suitable charging mechanism.

What is trickle charger?

This charger provides a very low voltage. Therefore, the battery will be charged at a slower rate. Apparently, it seems to be a drawback of a trickle battery charger, but it increases the lifecycle of the battery because it feeds a constant low charge to it and you don't need to recharge the battery again and again.

Generally, a trickle charger provides a charge equal to the discharge rate of the battery and disconnects it once the battery is fully charged to avoid experiencing overcharging.

How long does it take to charge a car battery while driving?

The time a battery takes to charge while driving depends on two major factors: how much charge is available on it and when it was charged the last time.

In addition, the charging time of a battery while driving may be different for different cars, makes, and models. Usually, you have to maintain more than 1,000 Revolutions Per Minute (RPM) for some time to provide enough power to the battery to charge fully.

Studies have proven that a battery charges faster when a vehicle runs at a high speed compared to when it runs slowly. This is the reason when you drive a vehicle on high-speed lanes, the battery takes only 30 minutes to fully charge.

In comparison, when you drive on jam-packed roads where a car can move slowly, a battery can take 1 hour or more to hold the full charge.

Conclusion

Are you concerned about how long does it take a car battery to die? Well, you can leave your car to sit for about one to two months before its battery discharges completely or it dies. The reason behind this fact is that the battery remains in use of electronic components even when you don't drive the car.

When it comes to recharging the battery, it takes around 4 to 8 hours to start the engine and 10 to 24 hours to hold 100% charge. At the same time, the charging time of the battery also depends on what type of charger you use.

For modern cars, smart chargers are the best option because they not only charge the battery but also decide on the suitable mechanism for charging.

Frequently asked questions

How long does it take to charge a car battery with a 12 volt charger?

Usually, a car battery holds 48 amperes, and a charger provides 4 amperes. Therefore, a 12V battery charger will take around 12 hours to fully charge the battery. Similarly, if the charger delivers 6 amperes, it can fully charge the car battery in 8 hours. It shows that the charger’s output current is inversely proportional to the battery’s charging time. In the case of electric vehicles, it takes 30 minutes only to charge up to 80% for maximized performance.

Can a completely dead battery be recharged?

It actually depends on whether the battery is deeply discharged below the charger’s minimum operating voltage. If it is so, you won’t be able to recharge the completely dead battery. If the battery is discharged and its voltage is above the minimum operating voltage of the charger, the safest thing to do is to charge the battery to 100% overnight at low amperage. It will prevent battery cells from experiencing additional stress.

Does a car battery charge while idling?

Yes, technically, you can charge a car battery while idling, but it is not an efficient way to charge the battery. In this case, you will have to leave the car running for hours to make the battery reach closer to the full charge.